Welcome back! It’s another year ahead full of new music and we’ve already got so many gems to rifle through. As always, Mini Melon Mix Ups is our fortnightly selection of tunes from a whole range of genres, from all corners of the world. We can’t wait to find out what 2023 has in store! Hopefully, they’ll be as good as this playlist-ready bunch!
‘Down On My Luck’ is the gritty new offering from alternative R&B artist Low.bō, Baltimore-raised, Jersey-based 23-year-old newcomer. His sound is a smooth blend of vocal layering, harmonies and introspective lyricism that provides insight into this young artist’s life. With this track in particular, it’s all about the daily grind and the impact it can have on your sense of self. This fully honest portrayal of daily life is propelled by skulking bass, shimmering chords and the artist’s rich vocal.
“I work a 6-6 job that I don’t enjoy working and just not having the time to explore other outlets of my life such as romance or just simple pleasures because of being stuck at a job and being caught up in the cycle of capitalism and survival, Down on my luck just became the manifestation of that. Fuck a 9-5, Fuck a catch 22, live your life as free as you can”.
Follow Low.bō on Instagram.
A Days Wait is the project of Canadian musician Adam Alfano, who is uses his creative platform for raise money for charity. Not only does this artist have a golden heart, but he has one hell of a talent for writing unforgettable tracks too. Just listen to ‘Same Sense’ and you’ll be whisked away on a magic carpet of indie-pop melodies, soaring vocals and layers of nostalgic reverberated guitars. Some of the credit also has to go to producer Jackson Phillips, aka Day Wave, to bringing this indie gem together.
“It’s about how often in a relationship one person is up and one person is down. You try to pull each other up and optimistically find those blissful moments where everything clicks.”
Follow A Days Wait on Instagram.
We featured Alta Falls back in August last year and we’re happy to welcome this enthralling indie-pop outfit back again with newer tune ‘I’m At A Loss’. Like everything that emerges from this Brisbane-based band, this track is merges vibrant synth-pop and catchy indie-rock to create something that simply brims with the joy of life. On top of this pulsating soundtrack, the talented vocalist asks a series of rhetorical questions in search of an answer that he’s yet to find, but even lost, this band still nail it.
“The words, ‘I’m at a loss’ came to me out of the blue while Matt was showing me a new song idea he had been playing around with,” explains lead singer, Nathanael. “The phrase intrigued me, so I reached out to our followers on Discord, and asked them what ‘I’m at a loss’ means to them. Their answers formed the inspiration for the lyrics of the song.”
Follow Alta Falls on Instagram.
What people outside of the music industry might not always realise is that some songs or albums are years in the making or some have to wait in the wings, fully finished, for the right time. The latter scenario was the case with Jesse Gold’s ‘Go Go Gadget’. It sits perfectly at the intersection between indie-pop and soulful R&B, with the artist’s gorgeous voice sitting at the heart singing about the complexities of modern relationships. The track also features rapper Marc E. Bassy whose cheerful tone fits in perfect to this not-so-serious song.
“I wrote Go Go Gadget over 2 years ago and it’s been sitting on the shelf ever since. Something about it never hit as hard as I wanted it to. Bringing Marc E Bassy on board changed everything. He gave the song the energy I initially envisioned. I’m such a fan of his, and to hear him on this track is surreal. He crushed it and I’m so happy with how this one came out.”
Follow Jesse Gold on Instagram.
Right now we’re all tightening our belts and trying to survive through the cost of living crisis, but what we often forget, is that living on the bread-line is the reality for the majority of people. It’s not easy and GeeJay’s new single ‘Counting Pennies’ gives one perspective on this experience. The singer’s richly toned voice sings “oh I’m tired, I’m stressed out, by the lack of money that’s in my account,” over hip-hop beats and bluesy piano notes. It’s times like this that soul, blues and jazz was created for, to get us through the tough times and relay the experiences of ordinary people. It might not be sexy in theory, we bands like GeeJay can sure make it sound good.
“Across the globe from continent to country, the 99% are experiencing difficulty keeping afloat with rising inflation and living costs. This track is an honest account of the times we are living in: regardless of class or creed we are all in a time of need.”
Follow GeeJay on Instagram.
‘All Rivers’ is pretty unlike anything we’ve covered before on this blog. It’s a stunning combination of jazz, afrobeat and soul, resulting in an experimental sound that is flush with organic movement and instinctual feeling. This captivating piece of art is thanks to the joint efforts of renowned songwriter and vocalist Karolina and multi-instrumentalist and composer Avishai Cohen. As it was designed to, this track truly brings to mind the force, current and cyclical nature of the world’s rivers.
“I was struck by the idea that water goes missing from the rivers before going back to the rivers. All of this album is that cycle of going back and forth into the waves of emotion. The rhythms are the sounds of people wading through the water. They’re carrying all their emotions and it’s heavy.”
We love a familial project here at PM and that’s the case with Alexandra John, composed of siblings Liza and Weston Cain, who make versatile pop to address some of our most universal struggles, like anxiety, addiction, grief and loss. Their third release on this journey is ‘Lock Me Down’, which maximises an 80s-inspired synth pop aesthetic, but with modern techniques, to venture in the unpredictable, daunting and sometimes rewarding world of online dating.
“Lock Me Down is all about the disposable climate of modern-day dating. Especially with commitment in relationships and having the power not to settle for anything, and have that special someone choose you. Dating apps are good and bad, especially with the endless options of people and sometimes people feel overwhelmed and or scared to commit. At the end of the day, it seems we all want what we can’t have and people tend to not know what it is they really want to begin with. In the context of this song, one side knows that they want to take the relationship to the next level and the other not knowing at all. Many tend to drag out relationships this way and Lock Me Down is about giving that other person an ultimatum and acknowledging the other person isn’t going to wait around forever.“
Follow Alexandra John on Instagram.
PURPLE MELON 